Who Needs Fairies?
by The Blood Cloak
Summary: Takes places before Phantom Lord arc but after Galuna Island. Sorry it's a little confusing. Please read and review! Constructive criticism needed.
1. The Beginning

Lucy had barely been in Fairy Tail for a month, when they had enough of her. The blonde was having particular trouble hiding her true potential and prowess as she sat at the bar that day, mulling over her choices of missions in her head. She saw Team Natsu headed in her direction and a bright smile lit up her face.

"Hey guys! What's up? Do you want to go on a mission?" Her questions were met with silence. Lucy could tell something was off but didn't know what.

"Guys?"

SMACK!

Her head snapped to the side. The guild went silent. A sharp pain burned the sweet girl's cheek. She looked back in shock at Natsu, who's arm was just coming back to rest at his side after delivering the blow to her face.

"Lucy, you are a weak, worthless Mage and we're not going to be on a team with you any longer. You were just the person we tried to replace Lisanna with, but she's dead. You're not her and you never will be, nor can we stand having someone as stupid as you on the team when it should have been Lisanna from the beginning," Natsu said with a straight face. He gave his signature grin. She sent glances at Erza and Gray but saw no regret in their eyes. The blonde girl stared at her lap. The hurt she felt was greater by far than it had been in the last few places she had stayed. She felt she had a home in Fairy Tail but they were just like everyone else. Greedy, obsessed with power, and untrustworthy. Fairy Tail watched the encounter like starving hawks. A sigh wrenched itself from her lips.

"I thought you were different. I thought everything you said about family was real. I listened to all the terrible things in your lives and stayed there with you and I thought, when the time came, you would be there for me. Guess I've been naïve again, huh?" Lucy chuckled painfully. A harsh laugh burst from the blonde's mouth. She snapped her head up and stared at Team Natsu head on. Her eyes were filled with hurt and sorrow.

"Let me tell you something Natsu." Lucy rasped. "I know now that you couldn't handle me with all the baggage and history I carry. But thanks for taking me here. At least I can cross one more place off my list that might have accepted me." The young Heartfilia's heart broke and tears sprang to her eyes. She had been sure they were her friends.

"Just get out of here Lucy. Don't ever come back." Natsu seemed to flicker for a moment but the busty girl passed it off as a trick of the light. The fire dragon slayer gave a malicious grin as Gray grabbed her. He passed his hand over hers, burning her pink Fairy Tail mark off. It was excruciatingly painful and Lucy barely had the strength to run away once the ice mage let her go.

When the celestial mage was a sufficient distance from the guild hall, the Fairy Tail members disappeared like the illusions they were. A small girl in a flowy red, purple, and black dress stood where the fake Team Natsu was. Her platinum blonde hair fell in waves around her feet except for one small strand that stuck straight up. She held a black lacrima orb in her hands that glowed faintly. A large anti magic and sound cage hung behind her. It was filled to the brim with the real Fairy Tail members, shocked, crying, and angry.

One mage in particular was silently growling at the girl. His onyx eyes were filled with rage. The child smirked at the boy. She skipped over and smiled in his face. He lunged at her but the bars stood firm. Pink hair pushing up against his restraints, the dragon slayer snapped his sharp teeth at the stranger. After a minute passed, the young teen flicked her fingers at the cage and the floor of it collapsed, spilling the mages to the floor. The enraged pink haired dragonslayer was on her instantly, lifting the girl off the ground with one fist bunched in the front of her dress.

"Where is she? Who are you? What have you done to Lucy?!" Natsu snarled in her face but the child just smirked.

"Stupid dragon, I am Mavis Garnette, head enchantress of Edolas."


	2. Mavis Garnette?

"Edolas? What the hell are you talking about?" Natsu growled. Mavis gave a heavy sigh like Natsu was annoying her and tapped him on the hand. He hissed and let go of the girl, backing away while clutching his hand. Master Makarov stepped forward and placed a warning hand on the enraged boy's shoulder.

"I am talking about the glorious kingdom of Edolas, you pea-brained fool. I am in charge of collecting magic for King Faust and hunting down the runaway prince. As of right now, I need that girl. Her power is stronger than anything I have ever felt. Once her magic is harvested, Edolas will have enough energy to last us for 5 years. You must know of this, as you are harboring escaped Exceeds." Mavis gave a pointed glare at Happy. He backed away in fear of the scary child.

"As if we would ever let you do that to our family!" Erza said. Mavis laughed.

"Who said you had a choice?" Then she closed her acid green eyes and a magic pulse flew out in all directions. It knocked some members off their feet. Mavis Garnette waited. Nothing happened. The whole guild stood still in anticipation. Suddenly, the blonde let out an ugly shriek and her eyes glowed under her eyelids for a second.

"That bitch! She's hidden the girl from me! How dare she!" Mavis stormed to the doors and yanked one open. Before her figure disappeared, she spun around and glared at the assembled people. "This isn't over Fairy Tail. I'm watching you. If you ever find out where Lucy is, if you see her, I will know. Your master can't hide her forever!" Makarov looked taken aback. With those last words, the girl in the dark dress slammed the door and silence reigned over Fairy Tail.

*With Lucy*

The blonde girl ran. Her feet hit the ground in an uneven tempo and the sobs that racked her body caused her to lose her footing several times. She didn't bother heading to her apartment. The celestial spirit mage headed straight for the docks. She couldn't see, but Aquarius' key was in her hand and a summoning was blubbered from her mouth. Lucy heard the telltale sound of a gate but couldn't look up.

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO – Lucy?! What's wrong? Who hit you?" The blue haired spirit gently laid her hand on Lucy's stinging cheek. The blonde resisted the urge to jerk away from the light touch. Aquarius stroked her hair and soothed her master in calm tones as the teen cried on her spirit's shoulder.

"They kicked me out. They called me weak," she whimpered. When the water bearer heard that, she wanted to kill those bastards. Before she could say a word though, a soft light appeared above the girls. A sweet child in a light pink and blue dress with a hot pink ribbon floated down. She laid a gentle hand on Lucy's back and gave a soft smile.

"Hello Lucy Heartfilia." The blonde stiffened at the use of her full name. Aquarius flinched. But the child made no reaction to their surprise and continued.

"My name is Mavis Vermillion. I am Fairy Tail's first master." At this the girls turned to get a better look at Mavis. She looked like she was 13, how could she be Fairy Tail's first master?! Mavis stood up and offered a hand to Lucy. "I know you have a lot of questions but we need to leave now. I'll explain more on the way. Remember this, Fairy Tail did not betray you."

The blonde wasn't sure what this Mavis was getting at but grabbed her hand and Aquarius disappeared back into the spirit realm with a warning that she'd better tell her later what happened in more detail. Then the two blondes were sprinting (and floating/flying) for the train. A passenger train was beginning to pull out of the station, one door near the back conveniently forgotten and left open. Lucy started to slow down but Mavis waved her on. They ran and with a burst of speed, Lucy launched herself onto the train and yanked the door shut. Mavis floated down the hallway and came back a few seconds later to lead Lucy to an empty compartment. The ex heiress collapsed in the chairs and caught her breath, staring out the window. The child looked at Lucy for a few seconds, as if she were trying to decypher her, then mumbled something under her breathe. Lucy didn't seem to notice anything.

"Lucy, I need you to concentrate." Mavis started just as the train left Magnolia's city limits. The celestial mage pulled her gaze from the window and gave the master a nod to continue. "What I'm about to tell you isn't easy. You already know that your power is greater than normal. And I'm sure I don't need to tell you that others would use you for this power." The older girl nodded her head again.

"What I don't think you know is that there are other worlds. Other realms. The spirit realm is one of them." Lucy's eyes widened at this news but kept her mouth shut. "There is another called Edolas. This land holds counterparts of all people here in Earthland." Mavis's eyes dropped to her lap in shame.

"I'm afraid my counterpart has breached the gap and come here. She intends to crystallize you and turn your life source into magic for Edolas. You see, they don't have magic like we do. Thy use lacrimas and other containers to hold magic. With your power and future potential, you would be able to sustain their country for years."

"Me? How does this concern what Fairy Tail did?" Lucy held her head. It was almost too much to take in. What had Mavis meant Fairy Tail did not betray her?

"Mavis Garnette, as my Edolas counterpart is called, used illusion magic. She believed that you would be reckless with pain and therefore easier to catch if your heart was broken first. Don't worry, I've cast a concealment spell on you that would take decades to crack. She can't find us magically. But if that Mavis is set on using you, you must run. I will help you when I can." Mavis explained. The blonde teen choked on tears. She actually had found a family, and someone just ruined it. It felt like her heart was simultaneously filling with love and breaking.

"Thank you master." She cried.


	3. Phantom Lord

Fairy Tail was still mourning the loss of Lucy 5 days later when Phantom Lord attacked. The guild was destroyed, then later Levy, Jet, and Droy were nailed to the tree in the center of the park. A black Phantom Lord mark had been painted on the small bluenette's stomach. When the guild retaliated, Master Makarov was injured and they retreated.

The next attack had already come from when they returned home. Mirajane lay beaten and bruised in a rain puddle. Phantom Lord attacked for the last time with the Jupitor cannon. When fighting each other, Gajeel would have destroyed Natsu if it weren't for a mysterious sudden fire that restored his strength. Mirajane left the infirmary to aid in the battle and helped Elfman control his beast soul. She fell into a coma shortly afterward due to the over exertion. When she woke up days later, she told only the Master they were searching for Lucy.

"They used her full name. The rain girl, Juvia, said that Phantom was looking for Lucy Heartfilia. Master, why would Lucy hide that she was wealthy from us? We wouldn't care." Makarov turned from the window. The tears streaking down his face matched those coming from Mira's blue eyes.

"You know why child," He sobbed, "She told us. She told us the day she left. 'I listened to all the terrible things in your lives and stayed there with you and I thought, when the time came, you would be there for me. I know now that you couldn't handle me with all the baggage and history I carry.'" Makarov sniffled. "Lucy meant this. The child meant her heiress title that she tried to run from." He whipped at his eyes and turned back to the window. He could see Fairy Tail rebuilding the guild and thought about the information he got from Josè.

'Her father said he only wants her for a business marriage agreement but it wasn't that. He looked nervous and angry and kept giving suspicious glances at the shadows. It was as if he thought something was watching him.'

Makarov could only hope wherever the child was, she was safe.


End file.
